Thursday, 19 March 2015

With increasing disposable incomes and the desire to break away from our compact routines ,India has seen a surge in overseas tourism in the last few years .

The island city of Singapore is a favourite tourist destination for upper middle class Indians as it is a world class city that offers great museums, picteresque beaches,shopping hubs,amazing food and a vibrant night life .But I had my apprehensions when visiting Singapore (being the great Indian tourist ) most of them food related .Though my family is non vegeterian , I am not experimental when it comes to food .I had terrifying visions of being served eels,tongues and writhing ,slimy creatures when dining in Singapore !

Though that is exactly what the kids find thrilling .

Singapore is a melting pot of various cultures and its cuisine is a product of the cultural cauldron of the various ethnicities living here from Malaysian ,SriLankan, Indian to Chinese .So you will find the Indian style Roti Prata and Dosai rubbing shoulders with the Nasi Padang and Laksa.

My favourite among the huge variety of foods available ,is the Char Kway Teow , literally translated it means "stir-fried ricecake strips". A sweet , tangy and spicy dish with a mouth-watering smoky aroma .Though I prefer the vegan version where the sea food and sausages are replaced with bean sprouts , chili and greens .But the non vegetarian version was a hit with the husband .

Char Kway Teow( source-Wikipedia )

Char Kway Teow is usually made from stir fried flat rice noodles with light and dark soy sauce, chilli, whole prawns, deshelled cockles, bean sprouts and chopped Chinese chives. It is commonly stir-fried with eggs and slices of Lap Cheong(Chinese sausage) too . Traditionally this dish was stir-fried in pork fat and served on a piece of banana leaf on a plate.

But now due to health and religious reasons ,most of the hawkers and restaurants fry it in vegetable oil making it a healthy choice and have started adding more vegetables to it.

In fact Singapore has a huge range of foods for us vegetarians too and hence all my fears were allayed .I would strongly recommend Singapore for not just the visual and sensory delights it offers but also for the most delightful gastronomic journey it promises for every palate and pocket .